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Jewish History

History of Jewish Rezekne by Esther Rechtschafner

1- Introduction

2-Historical Background of Jews in Rezekne

3-Jewish Life in Rezekne at the End of the Nineteenth Century

4-Jewish Life in Rezekne at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

5-Rezekne and World War One

6-Rezekne After World War One

7-Rezekne and the Holocaust

8-Rezekne After World War Two

9-Conclusion

10-Appendix 1

11-Appendix 2

12-Bibliography and Footnotes

Secular History

Rezekne and World War One
by Esther Rechtschafner

Many Jews, including most of the communal leaders escaped, into Russia, during the summer of 1915 after the outbreak of World War One. In the autumn Jews who had been expelled from Courland [90] and Lithuania began arriving in the city. The first group to arrive numbered about 800. The community's charity organizations weren't working properly since many of the pillars of the community had left. A government representative of The Central Committee from Petrograd was in charge of giving aid to these refugees, with the help of a few members of the community and some of the youth. Financial help as given to needy members of the community who asked to continue running their businesses, in addition to these refugees, by this committee.

The Russian army suffered a few defeats in this area. The Jews were suspected as guilty of treason. In 1916, the entire community almost got expelled from the city. The Russian general Nazomov, stated as guilty the Jewish tavern owners, because of the drunkenness in the units of Russian soldiers. Rabbi Lubocki went to speak to an army official and succeeded in getting the decree cancelled.

After the revolution of February 1917 there were democratic municipal elections and two Zionists were elected to the city council. With its' help Jewish community life was re-established. Two other Zionists were elected on other lists: the local creditors and the socialist block [91]. These four Jews succeeded in the decision of not having general meetings on Friday evenings. Members of the "bund" voted against this. The head of the local police was a Jew named Tager. The community was allowed to send five representatives to the General Jewish Meeting of Latvia which took place in 1917. Rabbi Aaron Judah Shulman was in charge of picking the representatives.

The city was under Bolshevik rule from November 1917 until February 1918. The Jewish Commissioner Finkleman, put out a warrant to put an embargo on the synagogues. Again, Rabbi Lubocki was able to save the community when he made an appeal to the commissioner. He was also able to acquire wheat for baking matzoth. At this time the Jewish elementary school was headed by two teachers, the Tarifskin sisters, who were active in the revolutionary movement. In February 1918, the Bolsheviks withdrew their forces from the city, under pressure from the German army, which was moving in on the southwestern front. The farmers of the nearby villages took advantage of these few hours when there wasn't any government and began looting any property that they were able to. A committee, made up of the important community members went out to meet the pilot force of the advancing Germans, and to request of them to speed up their entry into the city. The Germans entered the city and the looting stopped. The period of the Germans in the city continued until December 1918. The army officials planned to convert a few of the synagogues into army hospitals. Rabbi Lubocki intervened and was again able to save Jewish property.

In the end of 1918, the Bolsheviks again took over the city. There were a few Jewish soldiers who were from the community among the Latvian soldiers who entered the city. A short while afterwards groups of soldiers began pilfering Jewish stores. Young Jews stopped this uprising. In June 1920 there were three Anti-Semitic uprisings, due to lack of food and black-marketing. In one of them twenty-seven Jewish stores in the center of the city were broken into. The Jews were able to stop these uprisings. From autumn 1920 and for a few years, the city served as a station for Jews that were being sent from Soviet Russia.

According to a census taken by the "Joint", in 1920, there were 291 artisans. The percentage of Jewish artisans in the city remained so, during this period. Making a living was easier this way, than being a merchant because of the Latvian competition, which had more of a chance at selling to government institutions. The Jewish bank wasn't capable of giving credit to Jewish merchants, according to their needs. Some Jewish merchants received credit from the "Latvian Bank for Industry and Credit", but had to pay interest at a rate of up to 48%. This bank had a local Jew as a board member. The complaints of the Jews reached the Latvian Siem, but to no avail. Even so, a majority of the shops remained in Jewish hands.

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